Fireflies And Roses
by Kyoudai
Summary: AU Beauty and the Beast Kigo fic. It's going to be Kim's birthday soon and all she wants is a rose. But why does a rose have to cost so much? Rewrite in progress. FINALLY.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Well, here's the rewrite. Two years late, but better late than never, right? Cx Just what took me so long? I got really discouraged after my laptop kept crashing. Even on this newer one.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kim Possible or any of the Disney Characters. The only characters here that are mine are . . . well, I'll name 'em when we get to them.

– **x – x – x – x –**

_"Roses are for love. Not silly sweethearts' love but the love that makes you and keeps you whole, love that gets you through the worst your life'll give you and that pours out of you when you're given the best instead… There aren't many roses around anymore because they need more love than people have to give 'em, to make 'em flower, and the only thing that'll stand in for low is magic, though it ain't as good, and you'll have to have a lot of magic like a sorcerer…"_

-_Rose Daughter, _By Robin Mckinley

– **x – x – x – x – x – **

**Fireflies and Roses  
**

**Chapter One**

– **x – x – x – x –**

"_Beginnings never start out the way anyone really wants it to start out like – at least that's what I've learned over the years."_

She looked over the sentence and shook her head lightly. It wasn't going to do. She grabbed it, crumpling it in her hand before tossing it to the other corner of the room. The quill in her hand shivered lightly in anticipation.

"_A happy ending never starts out the way anyone would really want it too – at least not if you aren't a cynic or one of those over analyzing know it all – "_

The storyteller groaned, roughly crumpling up that page as well and threw it away. The pile of crumpled pieces of parchment there were enough to cause a small avalanche. She turned back to the blank page and stared at it for a moment. Then, it hit her. She grinned to herself and quickly scrawled two sentences.

"_Happy endings tend have strange beginnings. Many of them involve a poor, needy child of some seemingly ordinary past."_

She paused, hesitating for a moment before continuing.

"_This is not that sort of story."_

The ink nearly bled through the page if she hadn't caught it. She lifted her pen and smirked, knowing just what to add next.

"_Instead, this story is about a woman who wanted __a beast."_

– **x – x – x – x –**

The woman in this particular story, our protagonist, lived in a town called Middletown. Yes, I'm not making that up, but don't be fooled. This town was far from normal. It housed an incredible family. The Possibles.

Now, they were the most well known family in their region. They were – to say the least – incredibly gifted. Each and every one of them contributed to their community in rather unique, and some revolutionary, styles.

Their father, James Possible, was a scientist ahead of his time. He was also a soothsayer, a man who often saw into the future through is dreams . . . and even through his daydreams. When not focused, he does seem quite distracted, as if lost in his own tracks. He isn't. The soothsayer constantly found himself falling into daydreams as he grew older. His own personal dream is to create a contraption that would fly, claiming (with the silliest grin) that one day he would actually have his head in the clouds. But, as for a job, he built things like clocks and musical boxes. Anything that used gears and wood he was able to fix and at times create.

He was married to the finest physic known to the region, Anne Possible. She was a fantastic healing mage, versed on all sorts of cures and medicines. During a time where women were viewed more as prizes, she well proved time and time again that she was much more than a "pretty face." She led the way for more potent cures for head related injuries. That isn't to say she was all about business, she was an excellent mother and charismatic woman to chat with.

Together, the two of them had a pair of twins who took more after their father. They were inventors – scientists. They loved to learning about things that explode and things that lit on fire. After their father had obtained "fireworks" from the east, their efforts only increased tenfold. Never had they passed a holiday without the twins ending with a "bang." They lit up the sky, dazzling the town and by adding a pinch of magic they were able to form images in the sky with flames – just as the stars did.

Then, there was their eldest, a daughter, the one who this story was all about. She was easily considered the pride and joy of the town. With her bewitching red hair and charming personality, it was amazing to find out she did not show any apparent talent in magic. She was able to use magical items though. It was common to hear that she was the "most sought after Beauty" amongst the men, when entering the town's bar. In fact, they called her "Beauty" more than they called her by her birth name, Kim Possible.

She always had her nose in a book if she wasn't helping someone out. Because, you see, Beauty was a goody – goody little two shoes. If there was a good way to help, she would find it. After all, "anything's possible for a Possible," as the family saying goes and she always stuck with it. She managed to do things from rescuing lost kittens from trees to taking down a bandit group who was trying to take over their town.

Of course, she wasn't alone. She did have a dopey sidekick and baker, Ron Stoppable. There was also the town librarian named Wade Load, who was a brilliant wizard on his own right, that built magical items for Beauty and Ron to use during their missions as a hobby. The three of them did think of it as a hobby rather than a job. They were a strange threesome.

Now, there was one thing that Beauty wanted. More than anything else in the world, what she wanted was a rose garden. She had seen paintings of them before, but never in person, never outside the picture frames. They didn't grow in the area as well, and from what she knew, they were rather expensive. Still, the only chance she would have of obtaining one would be if she were to get it outside their area, to some far distant land like the Orient or more realistically, a city next to the ocean.

One day, Beauty's father received a letter in the mail. His services were requested at Go City to show one of the nobles there one of his fantastic and quick selling, musical boxes. Normally, the journey would take two weeks one way, but the weather had been rather harsh. The winds and rain alone would delay his journey by at least a day or two. But, he ensured his family he would be fine and would take extra precautions when necessary . . . as well as buying them over with gifts. Not that he phrased it that way.

– **x – x – x – x –**

"What would you like me to bring back?" The soothsayer was tightening rope that was holding his cargo together, only to climb back down and hold out his arms for them to say their good-byes.

Anne gave her husband a hug and a kiss on the cheek, earning an 'ew' from the boys. "Just for you to be back home safely for Beauty's birthday." She replied after letting him go.

Of course, after hearing her nickname, Kim looked up and then scowled from hearing the word "birthday" attached to it. She was going to turn seventeen and her mother would try to get her hitched again. Sure, it was rare for a woman to still be unmarried at her age, but she did not find the men her mother found appealing. The closest she could see them was as friends. Just like her best friend, the baker. At least her mother wasn't forcing her to marry someone she did not genuinely love. That was one thing she was eternally grateful for.

The boys were the next ones who hugged their father. "We want two salamanders." They said in unison. Salamanders were amazing creatures that could speak and were excellent companions for these two wizards, since they took after the element of fire.

"One for –"

"-each of us."

Their father smiled wryly, knowing that it would be a bit difficult to find, but agreed nevertheless. Then, there was only one person left. "Kimmie-cub, what would you like?" He asked her.

_A rose._ She looked down and away. "I . . . I don't know." She lied.

"Come on, Kimmie-cub, consider it a birthday gift."

"A rose." Her mother spoke up after a moment's silence.

James looked from his daughter to his wife then back to his daughter once again. "A rose? Kimberly Ann Possible is there something you're trying to tell us?" Her father said sternly. If there was one thing he knew about flowers, it was about roses. He used them to court Anne when they were younger.

"W-What?" Beauty panicked. She could feel herself going pale.

"Honey, dear, it's just a rose. Besides, hasn't she made it clear that she wants it from you, not from any estrange boy?" The physic said calmly.

Beauty nodded quietly in agreement, unable to speak. The physic placed her hand on her daughter's shoulder. "You really should find a better place to hide your diary, Beauty, the twins nearly lit it on fire." Her mother's hands went into her own and placed a small journal in them as Beauty's cheeks matched her hair.

"T-Thanks mom."

Her mother moved away as Beauty pocketed her book. "Sorry Beauty." Her father said, hugging his only daughter and kissing her forehead. She hugged him back tightly.

As soon as they let go, James climbed up onto his cart and gripped the reigns in his hands. "I promise to get you those rose, alright?" Before Beauty was able answer, he lifted the reigns and left only the dust behind him.

– **x – x – x – x –**

James Possible never broke a promise in his life. Until now. The meeting with the nobleman was long over, but he couldn't find the roses his daughter asked for. Heck, he couldn't find a flower that wasn't also a weed there. And the weeds were barely surviving!

Go City was a terrible place. Crime and chaos ruled its filthy, in the literal sense, streets. The "nobles" as he found out, were actually just leaders of large groups of organized crime that enveloped the city. The soothsayer himself was nearly robbed a few times. He'd also witnessed a murder scene. He shook his head lightly remembering the sight. He remembered how the people around him acted as if it was a normal event. _I'd better find what I need and get out of here._ He told himself as he looked around. The rain was not helping his search.

It was simple to obtain the two salamanders, but it was costly. He knew that he was probably had been swindled by the merchant, because later that day, he found the same man selling the same salamanders at half the price. Apparently someone had sold him more salamanders or so the man had explained. James had only enough money to buy a meal. _No… Not even that…_ He thought sadly, looking into his wallet having finished his meal. He could almost imagine the wallet cough out a little cloud of dust when he opened it.

So, he did something he'd thought he'd never do. He ran out of the restaurant, jumped on to his horse and left. He'd never skipped out on paying a meal before. It made him feel very guilty. But, the feeling was quickly lost when he found that there were people chasing after him. The people who worked at the restaurant. _Don't those people have anything better to do?_ He thought as he looked for a way to lose them. There was a dark, shadowy wood nearby. _Perfect!_ He thought, pulling on the reigns to direct his horse towards it.

"Wait! Don't go there!" One of the men said, but Mr. Possible didn't hear it.

Needless to say, he never made it back to the city.

– **x – x – x – x –**

**A/N:** Phew. So the first chapter is over. I bet you know who the storyteller is now, don't you? c;


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **Chapter two ~

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kim Possible or any of the Disney Characters. The only characters here that are mine are . . . well, I'll name 'em when we get to them.

**-x-x-x-x-**

**Fireflies and Roses  
**

**Chapter Two**

**-x-x-x-x-**

Honestly, it probably wasn't the wisest thing to head into a forest, but that was what he did. At least the men chasing him did break away and left him alone. Now, he was in the realm of the beast, shut off from time and space. The man was trapped and he didn't even know it.

Now, why didn't the woman want a beast instead of rose? Well, she just didn't realize it yet. So, the beast contacted her first.

**-x-x-x-x-**

"W – where am I?"

Beauty groaned softly as she forced herself to sit up. Strange green flames covered most of her vision. At a far distance, she could make out a faint silhouette a good distance away. The flames looked as if they were flickering around them, careful not to burn them.

". . ." The person mumbled something softly, much too soft for her human ears to pick up.

"What . . . ?"

She was standing now, maneuvering around the flames, trying to reach whoever was on the other side.

"You really need to quit daydreaming and find me, Princess."

Beauty woke up with a jolt. She looked around wearily, wondering if anyone had seen her jump. No one had. Still, she wondered who that was. She couldn't recognize the voice, but it sounded . . . It didn't sound too strange. It was almost . . . nostalgic?

**-x-x-x-x-**

Now, some would say that the beast cheated by trying to contact the woman ahead of time. But, let's just get this clear right now. They didn't say that the beast wasn't allowed to do that, so it was fair game. So, yes, the beast managed to contact Beauty the only way they knew how, with magic and through her dreams.

But, the beast didn't know that right after that, their one chance to capture the woman would arrive in the form of a soaked old man.

**-x-x-x-x-**

James Possible woke up in an unfamiliar bed. His mind was foggy from sleep and fatigue, but even he realized the strangeness of the situation. He couldn't remember what happened that ended up with him in that admittedly comfortable bed, but this wasn't home. That much was certain. All he remembered was entering the forest and how it had changed. The deeper he dove, the darker the trees became. In fact, they looked _charred._ He remembered spotting some large estate and trying to head towards it, when his horse, he believed, went mad and flipped the cart over.

He got off the bed and tugged on his coat that had been hanging on the bedpost. The room was exquisite, unlike any other house he had been in before. Whoever was the master of this place, he knew, must be a true noble. Their taste in furniture was much like one of the members of royalty he was lucky to have met long ago. But, he knew he would have to leave. He wasn't sure how long he had been out, but his family was waiting for his safe return.

Since his things weren't in the room, he assumed that they must have been taken elsewhere. He hoped that the master of the home wouldn't take the gifts he managed to buy for the twins and hesitantly opened the door. It was strange. There was no one around and only one part of the hall was lit, his left. Plus, the lamps were lit by strange green light. _I wonder how that works . . ._The naturally curious scientist thought as he approached the lamp. It looked familiar to him somehow. As if it came from a dream and his dreams were never ordinary.

An odd sound came from his right just before he tried to touch it and he jumped back. _I guess whoever lives here doesn't want me to touch that._ He thought as he turned and followed the lit path, wondering how on earth he will get out of . . . wherever he was. It led to a rather large dining table filled with all sorts of foods. Most of them he recognized from the specials at Go City, but he'd never tasted them before for they had been well out of his price range . . . not that he had paid for a meal his entire time there.

"How . . . ?" He walked up to the table and found a note placed on one empty plate, where he assumed he would sit. It was written so lightly he almost couldn't read it. The person didn't use ordinary ink to write it either. It looked more like burn marks by the unique color and the texture of the paper. He couldn't imagine how long it could take to master a technique like that.

_'Feel free to rest and eat your fill before you leave. -Beast.'_

He was a bit skeptical at first, but his stomach won the argument over his mind. "Maybe just one bite." He told himself. But one became two and soon he had finished a good portion of the dishes on the table. Kim's father leaned back in his seat, completely content. It was then that he noticed the table's centerpiece. He stood and picked it up. "It's a rose." He said aloud as if to wake himself up from a dream. The soothsayer had a hard time looking for one when it was right under his nose the whole time. He thought fondly of the embarrassed looked his daughter would make one he would tell her he had managed to rose was what she wanted. He knew then that he couldn't go home without it. (Because if he didn't then Kimmie-cub would be disappointed, he'd broken a promise, and, from his wife, would probably spend the next few days sleeping on the couch.) _If they put it here they probably won't miss it, right?_ He thought as he placed the rose carefully in his coat pocket. Just as he did so the grandfather clock rang. He jumped, completely surprised and turned around to find another hallway lit up. He guessed that it lead outside and followed it.

The rather large french doors were already open, bringing in some leaves and dust suggesting that it had been open for some time. His horse and cart were there near the gates that led out of the estate. The horse was stomping impatiently in place. Something was frightening it. As he began to approach the horse it began to bray loudly when the old man felt some strange heat behind him. He felt the back of his hairs stand as he turned around to face whoever or whatever the heat came from before it tackled him to the ground.

All he saw was a pair of angry green eyes, planted firmly on the face of a monster. "How dare you take my rose!" It roared.

**-x-x-x-x-**

Meanwhile, Kim had just gotten back from a mission in a nearby village. She was disappointed not to hear of any news from her father. Not that it worried her more than normal. It was difficult to send messages across the land especially when the city was a few weeks away. It often took from weeks to months for the mail to get to Middletown. Because of their low pay, the mail carriers often took their time getting their mail across. There weren't many that were dedicated to their job. Birds were the alternative but they were extraordinarily expensive and hard to train. Not to mention, the last ones were . . . accidentally "singed" on the wings by the twins' experiments left uncovered.

At the moment, Kim was going to take her time to rest. She napped on a branch of a blossoming apple tree. She liked the smell of spring when the flowers begin to bloom before they become fruits to eat. It was sort of a haven to her, always peaceful and, thankfully, her brothers didn't know how to climb trees. Plus, there wasn't a ladder tall enough to reach her, and they don't have a levitating spell (yet).

Lately, her dreams often contained a strange lonely figure. (She'd never gotten far enough into the dream to see the person's face or even tell if it was human or a humanoid.) Green flames surrounded them and she was never able to get past them. She remembered trying to reach out and help them but, as soon as she touched the flames or she had heard the other speak, she woke up.

Just like now.

She woke up with a bit of a jolt from her current dream and quickly calmed herself down. If she did move too much, she would have fallen off the tree. She blinked a few times to get her eyes to adjust as she heard the loud clattering of boots headed her way. "Hey! Kim!" called a blonde haired young man.

Beauty twirled around and smiled at him. "Oh, hey Ron." Her smile turned into a frown as she saw the expression on Ron's face. It was like someone killed his pet rat, Rufus. "Is there something wrong?"

The baker gave a weary smile. Two days before Kim's father left, he told Ron his most recent 'dream.' It was about Beauty when she grew up. She was married and, to his disdain, currently making out with him. From his point of view he couldn't see Beauty's lover, so he had asked Ron if he knew if Beauty was currently with someone. (The answer of which was no.) But, the next day, when Ron asked about the vision he couldn't remember it. Not any of the vivid visions that he had told Ron only the day before. "Your parents are calling you. They say that it's something really important."

Beauty looked worried. "What is it?"

"I . . . It's best if you didn't find out from me." Ron shook his head. He knew he shouldn't be the one to tell her.

Without even saying another word, Beauty jumped down from the tree easily and began to run towards her house. Her heart beating quickly as she did so. She thought that it was about her father and what happened on his trip. She hoped that he wasn't badly injured.

"It wasn't your fault dear." Kim heard her mother say as she realized she was at their front door. Behind her the horse her father had ridden was heading to the stable by a stable hand and another was unloading the cart. It was rare for them to do that. Not when they preferred to do things by themselves. This must have been something very important that they couldn't wait, she realized. It caused her to hesitate in opening the door. Her hand hovered just above the handle and she took a deep breath before–

"Sis!" One of her brothers called as she stood by the door.

"Hurry up!" The other complained.

She chuckled to herself feeling a bit silly to just stand there like that and quickly opened the door. The twins scampered on inside first, making their way around Beauty to look for their present.

Her father greeted her first. "Kimmie-cub!" He smiled wearily, holding out a red colored flower to her. "I found what you've been looking for."

Kim's worries were dashed away at that instant, at least for that moment. "A rose." She said stunned as she walked towards her father. She took the long stemmed flower in her hands carefully as if it were glass. It was easy to tell that the rose captivated her. If not, you could tell by her hand, a small stream of blood began to flow from being stabbed by a thorn, but Kim did not notice it. Her father did and winced at the sight.

How was he going to explain to her that he had just traded a rose (as well as his life) for his daughter's?

**-x-x-x-x-**

**A/N: **Phew, and that wraps up chapter two. c:**  
**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Chapter Three ~

– **x – x – x – x –**

**Fireflies and Roses**

**Chapter Three**

– **x – x – x – x –**

_Spring, Month of Apples, 23rd_

_It's not really fair is it? Everyone in my family but me can use magic. Mom heals. Dad 'sees.' The tweebs are going to become apprentice sorcerers soon. I'm almost eighteen and I still haven't shown any magic potential._

_Now, I was to head into a beast's den without the help magic to defend me. Nor will I have any other weapon or tool I could use to defend myself. How am I going to survive? Will this beast eat me? Will this beast . . . oh my, perhaps I should not dwell on it any longer. _

_The beast did promise not to harm my family or me._

_. . . but what good is a promise from a beast?_

– **x – x – x – x –**

After pulling off a petal off the rose, they had ended up in the forest once again. From there, it didn't take too long to make it to the estate. They would have eventually made it to the estate any way.

Her father looked at her worriedly. A part of him, if not all, already regretted keeping his promise to the beast. He didn't get a good look of the estate (or the beast for that matter) the last time her was there, for he had been unconscious when he first went in and he had thought that it was a dream and forgotten most of it the last, but he noticed that the estate was not only large but majestic as well. _Perhaps it belonged to a noble long ago . . . _The inventor thought. He was trying to look more worried than grief stricken. It was clear to see why the beast got mad. He must have spent a good amount of time maintaining the place, seeing that it was still in better shape than he would have expected it to be in. A rose would have been hard to cultivate in a place like this.

The both of them got off their horses. Kim tried to smile reassuringly. "At least he gave his word not to harm me, dad." She said as she hugged him tightly. _And I can defend myself if I have to. Hopefully._

James nodded, wishing he could have prevented this. "I know, Kimmie-cub. I know I just wish . . ." He sighed deeply and kissed her forehead. "Visit us when you can." He said as Beauty began to pull away from him.

"I promise." She grinned. "Just think of it as a long mission." Her father nodded mutely as Beauty walked into the estate with her horse, leaving her father on the other side of the gates that seemed to open and close by themselves.

Kim knew she couldn't turn around. If she had, she probably wouldn't be able to keep herself from tearing up.

Behind her, James couldn't take it and tried running to the gate. He held out a hand to Kim and it was then when leaves enveloped him once more.

"Kim."

It sounded almost like the wind had carried his voice and she quickly turned around. Only to find that there was nothing there. Her father and his horse had left.

From a good distance away, up at one of the high windows a dark figure watched the young woman.

**-x-x-x-x-**

**Two Days Ago**

James Possible crawled backwards in fear of the monster before him. He managed to kick the beast in the chest, which helped shove him farther away from it. The beast didn't seem too affected by the kick and reached out to grab him. Its claws dug into the man's ankle as he grabbed the soothsayer and carried him up by the foot.

The beast huffed as if daring the man to try to escape from its grip.

Instead, he took the rose back out from his coat pocket and held it out to the beast. The soothsayer did not even realize he was doing so and when he did, he noted how his hand began to tremble in fear. Still, he had a feeling that the beast wasn't going to kill him.

With the beast's free grizzly hand, it took the rose from James.

He watched the beast as it twirled the rose in its hand as if it was thinking.

"I housed you. Treated your wounds . . ." It spoke surprisingly steadily, surprisingly human, although it was a little husky from the lack of use. He gulped. Either way it did not sound happy. ". . . and you pay me back by stealing one of my most prized possessions . . ."

The beast held the rose back to the man and he stared at it incredulously.

"Take it."

Hesitantly, James took the rose. "W – why?"

The beast growled and he could have sworn that he was smiling dangerously at him. James knew that he wasn't going to like this. "I require payment."

Perhaps, it was because of the blood rushing through his head, but he answered without a thought. "Anything."

It chuckled darkly and James knew then that was probably the worst thing he could have said. "Your daughter. Kimberly Ann Possible."

Before he could protest, thousands upon thousands of leaves enveloped them, clouding his vision. The next thing he knew, he was on the ground, standing actually. His leg was healed and his horse was beside him still attached to the cart, looking around curiously wondering what just happened.

The soothsayer couldn't stop staring. It felt like a dream and he would have thought it was another one of his dreams . . . if it wasn't for the rose in his hands.

"_Once you make it to your family, you will have one day to deliver your daughter to me before you return on your own. If you return on your own, I will kill you. If you return with your daughter, she will not be harmed, and you will return to your family."_

He looked around and realized that he was just on the outskirts of Middletown. _Just how will I get back?_

The answer came suddenly.

"_Just pull a rose petal."_

**-x-x-x-x-**

**Yesterday**

"Kim, your hand . . ." Her father spoke softly. His eyes were raw from tears.

"Hm . . . ?" Kim blinked, coming back to reality. "What?"

"Your hand." Her father pointed out quietly.

"Oh . . ." She moved the rose to her left hand as she began to suck on her bleeding finger.

"Here." Her mother covered Beauty's finger with hers and a light red glow covered her hand. "There. All done." She said quietly as she pulled away and tied a little ribbon over her finger. They all knew that her mother had healed it with magic, but said nothing. Magic was a sensitive thing to Kim. She had come from a family with an abundance of magic only to find out that she didn't have any. Her parents, however, were convinced that she was just a late bloomer.

Kim hugged her father, careful not to crush or harm the rose (or herself), and kissed his cheek. "Love you dad." She grinned proudly as she held him away by arm's length. "How did it go?" She asked.

The soothsayer shook his head, seeing the twins' eager faces. "I'll tell you that later." He said as calmly as he could. Anne knew he was trying to find the right moment. The twins didn't know yet either. Besides, she knew that he would tell Kim eventually. She knew that he was struggling to find the right words as well.

The boys were digging though their new things looking for their salamanders and the soothsayer couldn't help but laugh, although it sounded a bit forced. Kim hadn't noticed though, and the physic looked at her husband worriedly. He waved her away. "Here boys." He said taking the cages from behind him. Each small cage had a salamander inside.

"Ugh. It's about time you gave us air." One of the salamanders complained.

"Cool!" The twins said in unison as they took their salamanders. "Thanks Dad!" Before their father could reply, the twins ran off, most likely to cause some sort of mischief.

James shook his head lightly. "Maybe I should have gotten them something else."

"They were going to need them one day or another." Beauty's mother smiled wearily. Soon enough, a small explosion was heard upstairs.

"Boys!" James called as he was about to get up.

Anne pushed him back into his chair. She knew that he was just trying to avoid telling her the truth. "I'll get this." She said, then whispering quietly so only he would hear. "Tell her."

He nodded with a sad sigh. "Alright."

Kim looked at the two with a mix of worry and curiously. It looked as though she just remembered the reason why she had dashed there in the first place. "What is it?" She asked.

"It wasn't easy to get your rose, Beauty. I gave up something much more important to obtain it." He explained.

"What did you give up?"

The soothsayer's voice dropped to a bare whisper. "You."

– **x – x – x – x –**

Cautiously, Kim looked around the estate as she walked down the pathway. It was amazingly neat. Perfectly cut hedges. Weeded flowers. Even organized by color and size. _This 'beast' must be a neat freak . . . _She mused. The thought kept her eerily calm.

When she finally made it to the entrance to the mansion, two young ones waited at the door, holding it for her as she walked in. They looked about her brothers' age, early teens, a boy and a girl. The boy was the taller one about five feet two inches with golden brown hair and a medium build. The girl had a lithe and much scrawnier build. She looked to be an even five feet with white blond hair. Unlike most girls of that time she wore men's trousers and a cap that matched the boy's. They were dressed just like butlers. But, the strangest feature was their eyes. They were switched! The boy had a blue left eye and a hazel right. The girl's was just the opposite. She had to wonder if they were trapped here too. Still, they looked decently fed, so Kim knew that she wasn't going to starve here.

_"Welcome, Mistress Beauty.''_ A voice said in her head as the doors behind her closed. She looked around at where the voice might have come from and then noticed that the two were bowing before her. _"I am Rosencrantz Fae Night and this is my partner Remus-" "Remy."_ Another voice corrected as the boy rolled his eyes.

"Y-you don't have to bow." Beauty said surprised. She should have assumed that it was them. This place looked too good to be kept up by normal means.

_"But we have too. You are a guest at our humble abode."_ The first voice said persisted.

"A guest?" Beauty looked at the two skeptically. She had another idea of what she was here. _A prisoner. A captive. Anything other than a guest._ But, she didn't say it aloud. That would be rude of her. Besides, right now, they held all the cards.

_"Rosencrantz! She can hear us!"_ 'Remy' said excitedly. It reminded her of the tweebs whenever they got a new toy. _"And see us too!"_

_"I can see that."_ Rosen said neutrally. For some reason, Kim could tell that she was glad as well. _"Come with us Mistress Beauty. Or rather, follow me. We must get you changed for dinner."_

"Could you please quit calling me 'Mistress'? It's getting kind of creepy." Beauty said uncomfortably as she followed the two. She wondered what kind of clothes the Beast had wanted her to change into. She hoped it was not something revealing or anything of the inappropriate sort. Boy, was she in for a big surprise. "Wait. What's wrong with my clothes now?" She asked.

_"'They look fit for only a peasant.' Or at least that was what our master has told us."_ Rosencrantz said bluntly.

Beauty bristled at this insult and was about to say something nasty when Remy cut her off. _"Our Beast awaits and we both know how impatient she can be."_ He said calmly, easily faking a smile. The girl nudged him harshly, but Kim didn't seem to notice. She was much too busy taking in their surroundings. It looked much larger inside than it did out.

_"Follow me."_ Rosen said as Remy opened the doors for them.

Beauty went in first and gaped at her room. It was sort of like a mini house all by its self. The bed was the largest she'd ever seen. It was enough to fit three people and still have extra room to move. It also had light curtains surrounding it that flowed with the theme of the room. _Angelic._ She noted with an approving smile.

_"So I take it that you like the room?"_ Rosencrantz mused, seeing the Kim's smile.

She could only nod as she walked over to see what was on the bed.

**-x-x-x-x-**

**Yesterday**

"I'll do it."

James gripped his daughter's hands tightly. "It'll be fine. I'll go." He told her.

Kim frowned and leaned forward. "You'll _die_. At least if I'll go, you won't be harmed."

"But, Kim . . . What about you?" He said, trying to keep the tears out of his eyes as he spoke.

"I'll be fine." She insisted. "He won't harm me. You said so yourself. He promised." The words sounded more like a lie to the both of them, and they knew it.

"How will we . . . I . . ." He sucked in his teeth. He couldn't seem to find the right words to say. Anything to convince her to stay. He knew banning her from going would only encourage her actions now.

"I'll be fine. I'll find a way back. _I_ promise." She said with a grin. The glint in her eyes filled the soothsayer with hope. He recognized that look. This promise could hold its weight in gold.

He rubbed his eyes and hugged her tightly.

– **x – x – x – x –**

"I honestly think that this is a bit overboard." Beauty asked as she stood before a mirror, looking at the dress that she had found on the bed. Rosen had told her that the Beast wanted her to wear it. Now, "it," as she endearingly called the dress, looked more like a highly expensive ball gown. In fact, it had taken a bit of coaxing from the two before she actually allowed herself to wear it.

_"My master insists that you wear this."_ Rosencrantz stated for what seemed like the hundredth time that day. She stood on a stool as she tied a red ribbon choker around her neck. _"Besides, you look great. Master's choices are always very tasteful. But all the credit cannot go to her. You would probably fit anything the master gives you quite nicely, despite the fact that you are lacking in some areas."_ She noted.

Beauty blushed lightly. "Well, I'm sorry that I'm not as developed as other girls." She retorted, as she tried to calm the blush down. "By the way, how did you get my measurements?" She asked curiously.

Rosencrantz shrugged. _"It was Master's choosing. I don't question them_."

Kim looked at the girl wondrously, as she struggled to think of any time of when someone could have taken her measurements. _It wasn't as if it was an easy task . . ._ _was it?_ She was much too embarrassed to ask.

Soon enough, Rosen finished the final adjustments to Beauty's gown and then looked in the mirror with approval. _"You're all fixed up."_

"Finally." Kim sighed happily.

_"I hope I'm not interrupting anything."_ Remy said, covering his eyes as he opened the door. To Beauty's dismay, it reminded her of Ron.

_"We're finished."_ Rosencrantz confirmed, and Remy pulled his hands away from his eyes.

_". . . Mistress Beauty?"_ Remy said wide eyed. Rosen thumped the back of his head. _"What was that for?"_ He glared at her as he rubbed the small bump he knew would grow on the back of his head.

_"'Tis rude to stare."_ Rosencrantz huffed as she folded her arms. It was the first time, Kim noted, that the younger girl had acted her age or expressed any emotion at all.

She smiled and knelt down close to him. "She is right, you know." She teased him.

Remy rubbed the back of his head nervously. _"Sorry. It's just... Master has very good taste."_

Kim blushed.

_"And you said that she was _The One._"_ Rosencrantz scolded. Remy grinned sheepishly and Rosen rolled her eyes. Kim wondered what Rosencrantz meant by that. _"What did you come here for anyways?"_

_"Ah . . . Right . . ."_ Remy said as he punched his palm with his fist. _"Master is already in the dining room, wondering where Mistress Beauty is."_

_"We'd best hurry then."_ Rosencrantz suggested.

_"Wait! What do you mean 'the one'?" _Beauty asked as she was getting booted out of her own room by Rosen.

Rosen and Remy stopped where they were and exchanged an unreadable look.

_"Nothing."_ Rosen said.

_"Nothing at all."_ Remy agreed.

– **x – x – x – x –**

**A/N: **And that marks the end of chapter three.

Annnd. I'll put the disclaimer here, just this once.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kim Possible or any of the Disney Characters. The only characters here that are mine so far are Rosencrantz (Rosen) Fae Night and Remus (Remy) de Chevalier.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **Chapter four. The last of the updates from this batch. Phew.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kim Possible or any of the Disney Characters. The only characters here that are mine so far are Rosencrantz (Rosen) Fae Night and Remus (Remy) de Chevalier.

– **x – x – x – x –**

**Fireflies and Roses**

**Chapter Four**

– **x – x – x – x –**

The beast watched the red head and her father from their bedroom window. It was interested in the girl and the magic that seemed to ooze out of her. The beast could even make out a trail of magic that she left from as she headed towards the mansion. It looked unchecked and untouched. The beast had to wonder. _Was she completely unaware of her power?_

"But that would be absurd!"

The beast continued to watch them. He thought it was amusing. _All for a rose . . ._ He thought whimsically. Although he had laid out a nice dress for Beauty to wear, he did not expect her to actually come. What he expected was for the man to leave and never come back. The beast did not have much power over those where outside of his estate. At least he finally had some company in this place, but what was he going to do with her now? More importantly, how was he going to act in front of her? Perhaps he should dress up nicely and make a great impression on her. Or he could act so nasty and mean to her that she cries. _Why not a mix both, that'll drive her nuts. _The beast thought sarcastically. He sounded a lot more excited than he wanted to be.

Either way, he had a mission to get to. If she was staying, this might be one of his only chances he'd ever get to break the curse. Besides, it wasn't as if she was half bad looking either. The beast wouldn't mind spending eternity with a pretty face. Hopefully, she could keep a competent conversation as well.

Now, it annoyed him greatly, the green and black double tailed waist coat and black breeches he wore. They had to be the only publicly acceptable clothing he had to wear. It wasn't as if he could put on anything else without ripping it, not to mention find anything else that would fit. It was difficult enough just putting it on. He sighed and turned to the mirror as he fixed his hair by combing a clawed hand through it. He smiled wryly. It was still looked matted and uncombed, as it was for years, or as long as he could remember. Without other people around, he had simply forgotten what it was like. Being human. Dressing up for events. Well – he cut of the unruly snips of hair – he was human. He just looked different than others. Even after being trimmed and 'taming' his hair it was still long for a guy's, but he did not want to cut it anymore. It was the length it was when he was human. He wanted to keep it as a remembrance of some sort. So, instead, he tied his hair in a low pony tail.

He patted his chest once he was finished. It felt funny, all tightly bound like that. At times it felt even suffocating, even if it did belong to the bolder of a brother he once had. But, it felt somewhat lighter today. His mind was much too distracted to worry about something like that. He threw on a cloak and walked off to the dining room.

The table, to his delight, was already prepared. He had spent hours cooking long before Beauty had come. A feeling told him to cook a lot earlier today and he was glad he listened to it. Clawed hands were not the easiest thing to use, especially since they kept growing back each time he cut them down. He hoped they tasted good. He'd liked them, but he wasn't so sure about Beauty.

"Whatever. If she doesn't like it she can cook it herself." He muttered as he took his seat. He pulled up the hood of his cloak to cover his face. He didn't want anyone to see he was green or the fact that he was partly a beast. His unnaturally bright green eyes, though, could not be hidden by the cloak. They picked up the light from the candles and brightened even more. The cloak covered his tail and dark green gloves covered his clawed hands. He did not want to scare Beauty away. _Yet._ Beast paused in his tracks. _Everyone leaves eventually._ He reminded himself. _That's the reality of living . . ._ He looked at his gloved hands in disdain. Out of all the ones on the curse, he was the only one remained – at least that's what he thought. Time had stopped for him and him alone.

– **x – x – x – x –**

Remy lead Kim down the hallway and to the dining room. Rosen had stayed behind in Kim's room. _"Good luck. You'll need it."_ Remy told her before leaving her to the beast.

"Remy?" She turned around but no one was there. _But I didn't even hear any footsteps . . ._ Beauty thought as she blinked in confusion.

"Good evening, Beauty," came a voice from behind her.

Kim shivered as she heard the ever mysterious Beast. She briefly wondered just where on earth had he learned her nickname. Her father never used it. "Y – yes?" She said hesitantly as she turned back to the dining room. Chills went down her spine when Beast had called her name. It sounded dangerous.

"Come. Eat your fill. I assume you must be hungry after your trip here. It isn't an easy place to get to." Beauty looked at Beast intently, trying to see the beast under the cloak, but all she got was a pair of bright – _so unnaturally bright_, Beauty added – green eyes staring back at her.

Beauty sat at the other end of the table. It was awkward for her – not only because she was sitting with Beast, mind you – but the table looked big enough to sit at least twenty – five people. With only the two of them, everything that was said echoed back in a frightening manner. Beauty merely stared at her food, wondering why he had arranged this for her. It was much more than she could eat.

"Aren't you hungry?" Beast asked. If she could see Beast's expression, she would have known how annoyed he was. It was a bit offending if the person he had cooked for didn't bother touching the food he slaved over to make. _So . . . She's just gonna remain a statue for the remainder of her stay?_ He mused. At least that part kept him from getting more annoyed.

Kim shook her head. The food looked good. Plus, there was pasta. _But . . . He's staring at me . . ._ She thought nervously.

"I suppose you're wondering why I asked for you?" Kim heard the beast say tiredly as she took a slice of ham into her plate. She looked up at him. "I wanted company. I suppose. That's all." He said nonchalantly, as he looked at his gloves. "It gets rather boring, living here alone, I mean."

"But you have Rosen and Remy." Beauty pointed out.

"Them?" Beast said surprised. "I haven't seen them in . . . Well since I was first called Beast." He said looking away from Beauty. It seemed that the paintings on the wall were more interesting than her at the moment. "I'm surprised you know of them." He admitted quietly, and then silently added. _You must be a powerful one. Just as your father says._

"How did you find out about me? My dad told me he was surprised to know you called out my name personally. And this dress . . ." Beauty blushed as her voice dropped. "How did you know my measurements? This dress fits me perfectly."

"Cute . . . You're blushing. Well, I'm glad it fits you. I went through a lot of trouble to find them." Beast teased. He leaned back in his chair, trying to figure out the best way to answer the rest of her questions. No, he couldn't blurt out that he needed her to break a curse. Besides, why would he want help from her for? He could take care of himself. Oh wait, there was another reason. He hated pity. "First off, I wanted a girl for company. Guys . . . Let's just say I never got along well with them." He laughed darkly remembering his only friend before he turned into a beast. Yeah, he torched his buns whenever he got the chance. He also scared off any suitors he got. "I found out about you through your dad's sleep talking. Which reminds me . . ." He smirked. Beauty leaned forward eager to see what he was about to say. "How do you sleep with all that noise? Also, what is a 'pandaroo'?"

Flustered, Beauty blushed deeply, wondering why, of all the things to remember, they – both her father and Beast – had remembered that one. She couldn't help but hope that her pandaroo back in her room with Rosen was alright. The funny panda-kangaroo toy was her version of a teddy bear. It had been there with her in bed for as long as she could remember. She couldn't sleep well without it at night. Beauty did her best to ignore her ever growing blush and keep her tone as strict as possible. "My measurements?" She demanded.

Beast laughed. "You'll find out soon enough. Now eat. The food's getting cold."

– **x – x – x – x –**

_"Shego! Shego!" A blue skinned man said running around the estate of his 'best' friend. (More like only friend.) 'Best' because if Shego ever heard him call her that . . . He shivered in fear. Shego never did like that word almost as much as she hated the word 'suitors' and 'marriage.' He had been stunned to know that his partner-in-crime was actually the missing princess. It had taken him a while to adjust to it – he'd even called her princess for the first few months until Shego threatened to burn his butt if he'd call her that again – and everything went back to normal. Somewhat._

_"I'm coming! I'm coming already!" The pale green skinned teen sighed as she caught up with the boy. "What is it this time, Drakken?" She demanded._

_The boy ignored her tone and cheerfully showed him a red bound journal. "I was going through your library when I found this book!"_

_"So what? My library has every book known to humankind. From the past and from the future. Does it really matter?"_

_"B-but…" The boy faltered. He tried to compose himself as he did many times whenever he stood before her and said more strongly. "But it has a bunch of curses from another world that even I have never heard of."_

_"Curses?" Now that caught her interest. Shego snatched the book from his hands. _Strange. I've never seen this book before . . ._ She thought. Every book on curses in her library, she had read. There weren't many that interested her, so she'd tossed them back into the library, never to see them again. But this particular book . . . She could have sworn she knew all the books on curses, but she couldn't remember ever seeing this one. "How to give a beast a heart." She read aloud. _Boring. Just sacrifice a goat or something. Like it matters._ She thought. " Blah . . . Blah . . . blah . . . True love . . ." She grimaced and threw the book at Drakken. "Keep it. It's just another fairy tale." She said as she walked out of the room._

_The book had hit the boy square in the face. "Shego!" He whined. "She could be a lot nicer to me…" He muttered under his breath after he was sure that he was out of Shego's range of hearing. If she had heard him . . . He winced remembering the pain as he rubbed his rear end, remembering the green flames that the princess emitted from her hands._

– **x – x – x – x –**

Beast woke up shakily. He placed his hand on his forehead. _Normal . . . I think._ He looked out his window and saw the stars out bright. Beast shook his head. _It's no thanks to him I'm stuck this way. Him and Hego._ He thought as he got up and headed out of his room and to the balcony. There was already a bench out there for him to sit on. He took out the harmonica hidden underneath it and began to play.

He watched a falling star go by and stopped. "It had to be a curse for a guy." He muttered under his breath, as he looked at his clawed feet. He turned his gaze turned towards the stars, trying to ignore his changes. "I suppose I've been a guy longer than I have been a girl now, huh, mommy?" He told them quietly.

A moment later he began to chuckle darkly. "You always did say I'd never end up with a guy if I kept acting like I did. I'd end up like you and mom. You were always worried about that . . ." He shook his head. "Now I'm talking to myself. Just great." He shook his head again, this time with a sad smile.

"So you don't talk to yourself all the time?" A girl – Beauty, he corrected – said behind her.

– **x – x – x – x –**

The dinner was a bit unnerving. She was glad that the beast acted like a human. It saddened her when she found out that Beast hadn't always been this way. She assumed someone turned him into this . . . Beast. Maybe they had bothered a wizard or something or maybe he had been a wizard himself in an experiment gone wrong. Or maybe he was just faking so he can 'fill' her up and eat her later. She shivered at the thought. No way was she going to get eaten. She had a huge life ahead of her and she wasn't going to spend the rest of them here. At least, she hoped not. She promised her father, after all, that she would make it out of there and visit.

There were only three rules that Beast had given her. One was that the only rooms she was allowed in were already unlocked and that she had to stay away from any that were. Two was that she has to tie a string to the door when and if she goes to the library. She wondered why. _It couldn't be that big, could it?_ She thought. The third was call for him whenever she got lost in the huge estate. _"If you need me… just say my name and I'll come._" He had told her. It looked like the beast wanted to say something else, but turned away and began to walk off, saying _"sweet dreams, Beauty . . ."_ There was something about the way he had said it that made her blush. She couldn't help or prevent it at all. For some reason she wanted to look and act perfect in front of Beast. Not blushing like a school girl with her first crush . . . It was just . . . embarrassing.

It must be well past midnight now, but she couldn't get any sleep. She got up and decided to just walk around for a bit, just until she got tired. She picked up a blue coat that she had found in the closet and walked out into the hallway when she heard some music. _I must be hearing things._ Beauty thought as she patted her ears. _I wonder . . . Could the beast play? No. I doubt it._ She thought as she unconsciously walked closer to where the music was coming from. _Well he did use a spoon and fork when we were eating . . . So I guess he could . . ._

" – you and mom. You were always worried about that. Now, I'm talking to myself. Just great." She heard Beast say sadly. Beauty couldn't help but to reach out to the beast. She tried to lighten the mood by saying. "So, you don't talk to yourself all the time?"

She watched the beast stiffen visibly, before getting up and whirling around to meet her eyes. In return, Kim couldn't stop staring at the Beast. He wore only a long shirt that exposed how much of a Beast he really was. Gone was that infernal dark coat he had been wearing that Beauty hated so much. Under the moon light, the beast looked like a werewolf stuck in its mid form. He towered over her. His dark olive green fur covered his entire body with exception of the hair on the top of his head which was dark as midnight. His feet claws dug onto the floor as he stepped forward scratching the marble below.

Beauty didn't move at all and he took this as an invitation. He leaned in close to her –his fangs and teeth gleamed dangerously in the moonlight – and asked in an oddly soothing voice, "Will you marry me?"

The silence was deafening and the look Kim made was anything but positive.

Beast only frowned at her expression_. If she was just going to look all horrified, then why did she bother coming to see me at all?_ He moved away from her and then ran off on all fours without realizing it. For some reason, he didn't want her to see him like this. He couldn't have any cared less when her father saw this beastly form. _Why her?_ He thought as he began to slow down.

– **x – x – x – x –**

Finally snapping out of her trance, she began to sputter. She stammered. Never once had she gotten such a sudden proposal.

Funny that was Kim's thought rather than "I've just been proposed to by a beast."

– **x – x – x – x –**

**A/N: **And that's the end of chapter four and yeah, I merged the previous chapter five into it. Oh, in the original _Beauty and the Beast,_ the beast proposes to Beauty at the end of every day. Since I'm trying to follow more of the original story, not the Disney version, I'm keeping that. That doesn't mean "Gaston" isn't going to show up later though.


End file.
